What Employers Want

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Zev Asch, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

So you got the call or the email. You snagged a job interview. Elation gives way to panic. There is so much to do; “Do I have the right clothes, do I have enough time to research the company, I didn’t get the last job, will I nail this one?”

While there are hundreds of books on interview preparation, you rarely get a glimpse into the mind of the interviewer. After many interviews, spanning three decades, here is what I can share with you from the employer’s perspective. By the way, hiring a career coach to help you prepare for your job search and interviews is a good idea. While we tend to get better with trial-and-error, a real interview is not the time and place to experiment – it could be the opporunity of a lifetime.

If you’re being interviewed by your new potential boss, the good news is you’ve passed the screening interview, the production-line, quick-firing of questions, mostly done by a junior member of the HR (Human Resources) team and are considered a potential candidate for the position.
Meeting The Decision Maker

Now that you’re meeting the one person who can change your life, what’s on his/her mind?
Here’s the thing: Most successful companies (yes, the ones you want to work for) have a well-established training program or are willing to train new employees. They can pretty much train anyone. You should remember this point because if you lack specific experience in their industry, you will be taught. But first, you have to get the job. Yes, we’re back to that.
So if the experience can be overlooked somewhat, especially with entry-level positions for recent graduates, what is the true underlying factor that will get you hired? We tend to take the word “career” for granted and some wake up years later realizing they’re in the wrong career or field. Doing the hard work now is incredibly important.

Fit, as in chemistry. Your manager supervises a team; a cohesive group of employees who, when they get along, enjoy each other’s company and are highly productive.
If you want to get hired, you’ve got to understand the corporate culture and the mindset of employees who work there. Thinking like an employer is essential.
In most industries, it could take close to one year before a new employee is fully productive. In other words, the ‘cost’ of onboarding and training could be as high as your base salary, not to mention the cost of all those who are involved in your training and mentoring.
In other words, each employee in a company has a price-tag associated with their role. If you are an entry-level marketing associate with a starting base salary of $45,000/year, your ‘real’ cost to the company, after adding training, mentoring and benefits can easily approach $75,000.
And so, here’s the secret: New hires rarely fail because of lack of experience. They fail because they simply don’t fit the corporate culture and expectations by the ownership of the firm. You see, most people can be trained in product knowledge or processes. No one can change who you are! Great interviewers spend more time getting to know you than covering your resume because at the end of the day, “you” matter more than “what” you did.

Know the Corporate Culture
One way you can prepare for your interview is to research the company’s corporate culture. Try to determine:
· What is their overall attitude towards employees? Study their website. Is there focus on themselves (products, services, market share) or their employees? The latter indicates a good culture and true appreciation of employee contribution.
· Does the company provide a pleasant and nurturing environment?
· What is the company’s management philosophy? Are they micro-managers, or flexible?
· Has the company received any awards recognizing their culture and support of employees?
· How active is the company in the community? Charitable events, etc.
Companies that are “all business” will hire you based on your resume and experience. Company’s that place a high priority on the ‘human factor’ and have an uncompromising commitment to their employees, will go out of their way to ensure that you are a good fit.
A solid resume and some experience do matter, of course, but “fit” trumps all. If Be yourself, all others are already taken. Don’t act or pretend. You may ‘fool’ the interviewer but within the first few months, your true self will come out and you will lose your job if you’re not a good fit.
Remember, it is your right to interview them back! Find out if they are a good fit for you as well. Don’t jump at the first offer you get if you feel uncomfortable. Wasting time in the wrong company has its price as well. My wishes for a great fit and career success!